


Maybe I’m My Own Greatest Fear

by IcamaneHatake



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alex has big Himbo vibes, Crushes, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Insecurity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Swearing, a bit of misogyny, dead parent talk, excessive flirting, farmhand Alex, it’ll get spicy at some point, more annoying acquaintances to friends to lovers, overworked and burnt out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcamaneHatake/pseuds/IcamaneHatake
Summary: It wasn’t like she hated Alex. He was just a stuck-up, self-absorbed, handsome, shit-eating, jerk.-Pelican Town was supposed to be a fresh start, a reprieve from the rut Jade had managed to dig herself. She was going to focus on the farm, turn it into something extraordinary, and really make something of herself after years of putting herself last.She didn't count on finding a kindred spirit in loneliness, and she certainly didn't expect it to come from the most annoying guy in all of Stardew Valley.
Relationships: Alex/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Alex/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. A Half-Dozen Eggs

**Author's Note:**

> I love too many characters in this dang game. 
> 
> The fic title is a lyric from Art School Wannabe by Sorority Noise. The whole album (Joy, Departed) has major Shane, Seb and Alex vibes.

Every time she saw him, it was the same kind of comments, without fail. 

“You’re looking hot today!” 

“Hey Farmgirl, you got a bikini?” 

“I bet you’d look great without all those baggy clothes on.” 

“Hey Farmgirl, when are you gonna come down and hang out with me on the beach?” 

“Damn Farmgirl, I didn’t realize how thirsty I was until you walked by!” 

And of course, what would catcalling be without the accompanying whistles? 

Every single time, Jade rolled her eyes, maybe flipped him off or stuck out her tongue, too. 

Every time, Alex just laughed and grinned. 

It wasn’t like she _hated_ Alex. He was just a stuck-up, self-absorbed, handsome, shit-eating, _jerk_. 

It had been months since she had moved to the valley to take over Bloomington Farm. She had made a few strong acquaintances, maybe lukewarm friends, in the precious time not spent trying to tame the overgrown land into something that could be called a farm. Summer was already in full swing, and she and Alex had yet to have a conversation that didn’t revolve around him shamelessly bragging and flirting with her and Jade being incredibly irritated by it. When she had asked around about him a little, she got responses that seemed to align with her own first impression. Abigail had just rolled her eyes. Sebastian had called him an arrogant asshole. Sam had shrugged to agree. Of her acquaintances, only Penny and Emily were of the opinion that it was all an act, that _deep down_ he really was _a good person_. 

Good person deep down be damned. Jade just wanted to buy an ice cream without getting hit on. 

A weird part of her vaguely enjoyed the attention. He was never explicit, or gross, just… way, _way_ too forward. He was slamming his foot on the gas when he should have been pumping the breaks. Maybe he thought it was funny? He would say something suggestive, she would tell him to fuck off, he would laugh… did he just think it was an inside joke? Or was it some sort of weird hazing thing? She didn’t know who the last person to move to the valley was… maybe Leah? Or the beach guy, Elliott? Leah seemed a few years older than her; had he done this to her, too? But sometimes, in the moment, it felt a little nice to have a really attractive, fit guy looking her up and down with a smile on his face. 

Yoba, was he jacked. And _Yoba_ was his smile just so… infuriatingly, annoyingly nice. 

Jade checked the calendar outside of Pierre’s as she left the shop, backpack full of another round of seeds, basket empty from selling her flowers. Lewis had neglected to mark off the past few days, so Jade dug a pen out of her bag to do so. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday… Saturday. Jade blinked a few times to make sure she read correctly that tomorrow, the 13th, was Alex’s birthday. She scrunched her eyes closed, sighing heavily. She had given a gift to every single person who had had a birthday since she moved here. Giving gifts was the easiest way to make people like you. She had even gotten something for Shane, who had never been interested in talking to her. 

If she broke the cycle now with Alex, she’d seem like a huge asshole. She couldn’t even get away with something mediocre. But what in the hell did he even like besides the beach and lifting weights?

“Hey, Farmgirl!” 

Letting out another sigh, she turned and saw Alex walking towards her. His tanned skin glistened with sweat, brown hair plastered back from his face. And he was very much only wearing running shorts and sneakers. He had his usual, lopsided grin on his face as he came up to her, crossing his extremely toned arms and leaning against the wall.

“What’s up, Alex?”

“You’re looking good,” he replied, eyebrows raised. “All that farm work must be getting you pretty fit. Maybe one day you’ll be on my level.” 

Jade snorted. “Sure, whatever.” 

His eyes were trailing over her body, but stopped unexpectedly at the basket still in her hands. “What’cha got there?” 

“Nothing, just sold some flowers to Pierre.” 

“Damn.” He put on a very overdramatic pout. “I was hoping I could buy some eggs off you.” 

“Eggs?” Jade asked in genuine confusion. 

“Yeah, you’ve been selling eggs to Pierre, right?” He pushed himself away from the wall and instead knit his fingers together behind his head. “My grandma’s been buying some really nice ones. Thought it was Marnie’s work, but gran insists it’s you.” 

Jade couldn’t help but shrug sheepishly. “I mean, maybe. I sell a lot of stuff to Pierre.” 

He flashed another smile. “Well, keep it up, Farmgirl. I gotta go finish my workout. I hear two hundred sit ups calling my name.” 

“I have a name you know!” Jade yelled after him as he took off again at a jog towards the beach. He just waved at her in response. Irritated, Jade adjusted the straw hat on her head and started walking back down the dirt road towards the farm. 

At least she had an idea of what to get him for his birthday now. 

* * *

Jade’s farm work took up most of her morning. The peppers and blueberries were finally producing, and soon she had several heaping baskets ready to go into town, with more inside the farmhouse awaiting jam and wine making. Panting, Jade loaded the baskets of produce to sell into the pick up bin by her house, shutting the lid tight on the bin to protect the cargo. She sort of wished she had milk to sell too, but was also glad that she didn’t have to add milking the cows to her morning routine just yet. Jade retreated to the farmhouse for lunch, glad to be done with her morning work. The sun was blisteringly hot today. 

After a shower, a change of clothes, and a quick meal, she was ready for her other task of the day. She had taken much longer with her morning chores out of dread for having to eventually go to town and seek out Alex. It would be about noon when she got to town… where the hell would Alex even be? The only people’s schedules she knew were Pierre and Shane, as they were very consistent. Jade decided to check town first, and then the beach. She packed a small basket with the half carton of eggs she had collected this morning, put on sunglasses, and left the house for town. 

The air was so warm her long hair was dried by the time she made it to town. In the square, Evelyn tended to one of the many planter boxes. The spangles were just beginning to bloom vibrant oranges and pinks. Evelyn was humming as she watered, and smiled when Jade approached. 

“Hello Jade! So nice to see you taking a break from the farm work,” she said, putting down the watering can. 

“Sort of,” Jade laughed. “I finished all my chores this morning.” The faster she found him, the faster this would be over. “Do you know where Alex is?” 

Evelyn smiled at the mention of his name. “Oh, he’s spending some time down at the beach today. I’m going to use the last of those potatoes you brought me tonight for his birthday dinner.”

“Oh, good!” Jade replied. “I hope they’ve tasted alright, I think my last harvest was the best.” 

“Just as good as anything Pierre sells.” 

It would be so easy just to give Evelyn the basket and have her tell Alex the eggs were from her. But Jade was not a coward, even if she really didn’t want to give Alex a gift. “Well, I’d best go find him, I’ve got to give him his present.” She lifted the basket a little to indicate it. 

“How thoughtful!” Evelyn said, her smile beaming. “Oh, I’m so glad he’s finally making a new friend.” 

“Yeah. I’ll see you later, Evelyn.” 

“Bye!” 

Evelyn’s humming was a bit more upbeat as Jade walked away, and it left her feeling guilty. She didn’t have the heart to tell the older woman that Jade in fact did not like her grandson, much less consider him a friend. Evelyn was terribly sweet, and Jade didn’t want to make her feel bad. 

A slight breeze had picked up as Jade crossed the river to the south of town and started down the path towards the beach. She absolutely loved being this close to a clean, quiet beach. The smell of salt was in the air as dirt transitioned to sand and she found herself looking out over the piers and ocean. It really would have been a perfect day to go swimming if she had planned ahead. And near the far corner of the beach where the broken wooden bridge stood abandoned was Alex. Jade counted to five, steeled her nerves, and began the trek through the sand. 

He was laying on a beach towel, seemingly content to lay in the sun and soak up the rays. He just wore green swim trunks and a pair of sunglasses. A well-loved gridball laid next to him. She stopped just a few feet away, but he hadn’t turned his head or even acknowledged that she was there. 

Jade cleared her throat and said, “Hey, Alex.” 

A wry smile spread on his face. “Hey, Farmgirl.” He didn’t make any effort to move, not even turn his head. 

She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Come on dude, my name is-”

“-Jade. I know.” He removed a hand from behind his head to push up his sunglasses. He had been looking at her the whole time. He pushed himself up to lean on his forearms. “I just like messing with you.”

Jade was very careful to only look at his face. She swore he was trying to _pose_ or something. Even though he couldn’t see where she was looking right now… “Well, if you’re just going to be annoying, then I guess I won’t give you your present.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow. “Present?” 

“Yeah dummy, it’s your birthday, right?” 

He sat up fully when she pulled out the half carton from the basket and handed it to him. “You remembered my birthday?” he asked, a genuine note to his voice that Jade was surprised to hear. He peeked inside to see the large brown eggs. 

“Yeah, well, I’m not an asshole.” Jade crossed her arms. “Laid fresh this morning.” 

His grin didn’t have any of the usual arrogance. “Thanks!” He nestled the carton safely down into the sand. His hand floated over the gridball for a few moments before picking it up instead. “Hey, wanna go long?” 

“Huh?” 

Alex was already standing, brushing off the sand that had stuck to him. “Come on, let’s see what you got!” 

Jade rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it and set her basket down by his towel before taking about ten steps back. 

“Nah, go _long_ ,” Alex said, gesturing for her to go back. She stuck out her tongue and kept taking steps until she was nearly halfway down the beach from him. “Great!” he called out, dancing back and forth in place before he wound up to throw. Jade had half a mind to just stand there and let the ball fall into the sand, or the ocean, but instincts kicked in when the gridball was sailing towards her in a perfect spiral and she found herself reaching for it. She misjudged how fast it was going and it slipped right through her fingers, thudding to a halt in the sand. 

She could hear Alex’s laughter across the beach. “Good try!” he called out.

Face red, Jade snapped back, “I almost had it!” and reached down to grab the ball. The muscle memory hadn’t left her, and she lobbed it back at him with all her strength. Alex moved forward to intercept, continuing to jog back towards her when the ball was safely in his arms. 

“Hey, you’re pretty good for a girl,” he said, tossing the ball between his hands. 

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” she growled. 

“Whoa, I just mean like, I’ve never met a girl who can throw a gridball.” 

“You must have only met like three girls,” Jade retorted, tone sour. “Girls can do sports just as well as guys, you know.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” he said dismissively, switching to tossing the ball high up in the air and catching it again. “But it’s not like there are pro players that are chicks.” Before she could keep arguing with him, he cut her off to say, “Hey, you think I could go pro? I think I’m gonna be the first pro player from Stardew Valley.” 

Jade blinked rapidly, trying to keep up with the whiplash of how fast Alex changed topics. “Alex, what?” 

“I said, do you-”

“I know what you said.” Jade’s whole body was warm, and not from the sun. Her hands were shaking. “If all pro players are sexist dick bags, then _sure_ Alex, you’ll be _fucking great_.” She stormed away across the sand to reclaim her basket. 

“Aww, come on Farmgirl, don’t be-”

“ _My name isn’t fucking Farmgirl!_ ” she screeched, and took off for the path back to town. 

She should have just been an asshole and ignored his birthday.


	2. Sowing Seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's easier to talk about yourself when you're half drunk and you don't have to look the other person in the eyes
> 
> feat. a very silly evening at the Stardrop Saloon

“ _ Dude _ you gotta be kidding me!” Sam shouted as Sebastian sunk two balls with one hit. “Fucking how?!”

“It’s not my fault you still suck at this game,” Sebastian said, a small smile on his face as he repositioned to take another shot.

“Jade, come on, you gotta help me beat him for once,” Sam whined, watching his best friend nervously as Sebastian picked a new spot on the other side of the pool table. 

Jade laughed and threw back the rest of her beer. “Nah dude I suck as bad as you do, you think I’ll actually help?” 

“Abby?” 

“Hmmm… nah,” Abigail teased, giggling with Jade on the couch. “This is way funnier.” 

Sam let out a groan as the cue ball cracked against its target and Sebastian sunk another one. “Do you wanna just give up?” Sebastian asked, hiding his grin with his own drink. 

Sam looked between the pool table, his half finished beer, Sebastian, and then took a long swig of his beer. “I’ll let you kill me like a man, it’s only fair,” he finally said, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his flannel. 

“Maybe if you get super plastered you’ll magically be great at it, Sam,” Jade suggested, standing to elbow him in the ribs. 

“Tried that,” he said, still watching Sebastian as he lined up his third shot in a row. “Gus nearly banned me from playing after that.” 

“What did you do?” 

“He threw a ball out into the street so I wouldn’t win,” Sebastian said. With a  _ crack _ , the few remaining balls spun across the table. Sebastian’s target stopped just an inch short of falling into its intended pocket. “Alright, you’re up.” 

“Finally,” Sam muttered, handing off his now empty beer to Jade. He was frowning in intense focus, muttering to himself about how he might sink the remaining balls. Jade and Sebastian shared a grin before Abigail stood up to walk back to the bar with her. 

Jade was so thankful Sam had offered her a standing invitation to join their Friday night game of pool near the end of summer. Even though weekends didn’t really exist for her, she still tried to take it a little easier. This week had been especially long, spent prepping her fields for sowing fall seeds. She still had a lot of work to do tomorrow to finish getting in all the pumpkins and eggplants. Jade slid the empty beer mugs onto the counter towards Emily. 

“Another round?” Emily asked, never dulled in her cheer by how busy Fridays were. It seemed like the entire town was here. 

“Pale ale for me,” Abigail said. 

“Nah, I’m gonna close out my tab. Water for Sam though, he’s losing really bad.” Jade dug out a few gold notes from her wallet. Emily accepted the money with a smile. 

“I’ll be right back, Abby!” 

“Oh, come  _ on _ ,” Abigail said to Jade as soon as Emily had left. “You always go home so early!” 

“Sorry Abs, if you want pumpkins for Spirit’s Eve, I gotta get them in the ground tomorrow.” 

“Fine,” she replied, bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “But you’d better hang out with us more this winter, you can’t grow anything then.” 

“I promise,” Jade replied, rolling her eyes with a smile. “It’s not like I’m  _ not _ gonna hang out with you, I just have a lot to do, and all very early in the morning.” 

“Hire someone to milk the cows for you so you can stay up late with us.” Abigail accepted her drink from Emily, and she and Jade walked back to the boys. 

“Ha, I wish. As if I have enough spare cash for that.” Jade handed Sam the water she had gotten for him. “Here dude, you gotta sober up if you wanna have a chance at winning round three.” 

“Thanks Jade. You leaving?” he asked when she picked up her coat and threw it on. 

“Yeah, I have an early day tomorrow. Good luck.” 

“He’ll need it,” Sebastian said with another smirk. “Bye.” 

“See you.” 

Jade was almost always the first one to leave the Stardrop after everyone arrived for their Friday night revelries. She said goodbye to everyone she passed and pushed out into the cold evening. She was very glad she had brought her jacket tonight. She stood on the street just outside the saloon, checking that she had everything in her pockets, when she heard a quiet voice from around the corner. 

“You might be the only one who understands me.” 

Jade froze. Who was that? 

“No one else has seen the kind of stuff you and I have.” 

Were they talking to her? It was a guy’s voice. She tried to think about who wasn’t in the saloon tonight, but she was still pretty buzzed from her several beers. Curious, she rounded the corner towards Pam’s trailer and the fenced-in bit of yard that she thought might house a dog. Leaning against the splintering fence was a figure, outlined by the dim street lamp by Pierre’s in the background. Before she could backtrack around the saloon, Alex looked up and saw her. 

“Jade? How long… did you hear all of that?” 

Shit. She should have just bolted for home. 

“Uh, not much,” she replied, trying to keep as casual a tone as possible. Something was off. His posture was slumped, his voice missing that self-confident edge, and he had called her Jade, not Farmgirl. 

He just nodded in response, turning now to lean his back against the fence. The streetlight revealed little of his expression.

“You… good?” Why did she care? They had barely spoken since his birthday. Jade had spent the rest of the summer hard at work on the farm. In fact, the last time they had spoken was when she showed up at the beach to see the Moonlight Jellies, and he had said hi. 

“...it’s dumb to talk about,” Alex finally replied. 

Jade couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Dude, if you need to vent, just vent. Better than keeping it all inside until you break.” 

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Have you… have you wondered why I live with my grandparents?” he finally asked after a very long pause. 

“A little,” she admitted. “But I didn’t think it was weird.” 

She saw the ghost of a smile on his face before it faded quickly. His gaze was fixed on the side of the saloon, but Jade could tell he was really picturing something else. “My dad was… not great. He ruined everything for me and my mom.” His lip curled up in disgust. Jade took a few steps closer to him, curious about his expression. “He was gone half the time, and the other half he’d just drink and yell at me about how worthless I was, that I was stupid, would never amount to anything. I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t drunk.” He took his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms instead. “He was probably just bitter and jealous that I hadn’t fucked up my life yet like he had, but whatever. He finally left when I was like thirteen. But then…” 

Jade leaned against the fence too, a few feet away from Alex. She knew he didn’t want to look at her. “My mom got really sick and passed away. So I moved in here and started all over.” His voice was flat, but his whole body was tense. “I don’t want any sympathy, I just…” 

“You dad’s an asshole,” Jade said before he could finish his thought. “Good riddance to that fucking guy.” Her words seemed to be formed of their own accord, acting faster than the part of her that usually kept personal information in tight check. “I understand how it is, though. My parents died when I was a kid, too.” She let out a tiny laugh. “Hell, I didn’t even know I had a grandfather or this farm until a lawyer called me while I was at work.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. My brother and I got sent off to live with our shitty aunt and uncle. I worked my ass off to get us out of there. I practically sold my soul to Joja to pay for us so Lucas could stay in school.”

“You have a brother?” 

Jade shrugged. “It’s not like you ever asked. But yeah, I do.”

“Why isn’t he here with you then?”

Jade stiffened. “He’s abroad.” 

“Oh, cool. School?” 

“No. Military.”

“...oh.” Alex’s voice was soft. She didn’t know how to handle it. “He’s alright though?”

“I think so. Got another letter about two weeks ago, so yeah.”

Why was she even telling him this? She hadn’t told anyone about Lucas or her past or any of it except Sam, and only the bits about her brother, _and_ only after Sam had told her about his dad. What timeline was this that she was trying to comfort Alex of all people?

“I’m sure he’ll come home safe,” Alex said, mustering a confident tone for the first time that evening. “If he’s anything like you, I’m sure he’s fine.” 

“Thanks?” Jade let out another little laugh. “I think?”

There was shifting noise from inside the fence, and Jade glanced back to see an old dog had crawled out of the ancient dog house. 

“So there is a dog in here,” she said, trying to decide if she would put her hand through the fence to try and pet the mutt. 

“Yeah, that’s Dusty,” Alex said, turning too. “He’s harmless, unless you’re in between him and a steak.” He let out a little chuckle as the dog approached Alex and he reached between the wood slats to pet him. “I’ve been trying to save money to fix his place up, but work’s hard to come by in town.” 

“You should let him run around on my farm some time,” Jade remarked. “He shouldn’t be cooped up like this. My dog won’t care, Hopps is super friendly.” 

Alex turned and smiled at her. “Thanks, Jade. I think I’ll take you up on that some time.” He reached up and stretched. “Well, I gotta hit the hay. I’ll see you around?” 

“Yeah, see you later, Alex.” 

He gave her a little wave that she returned as she left the yard and headed back towards the farm. 

Something about this town was changing her, and she couldn’t decide if she liked it or not. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying this new thing where I don't write 4-5k chapters and idk if I like it or not. I've never been one for brevity, but maybe it's working? 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Pumpkin Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week before the Stardew Valley Fair, Jade runs some numbers, and things aren’t looking too good. 
> 
> There just aren’t enough hours in a day.

Fall was passing in an absolute blur. Jade had met with Lewis near the beginning of the season, both excited for Bloomington Farm to make a big debut at the valley fair near the end of harvest season. Jade had worked very hard to get the fields plowed and planted, but now just a week and a half out from the fair, she found herself completely in over her head. Pursuits like mining, fishing, and working on the community center had to all but stop as she watered her crops and tended to her animals from dawn until quite late in the afternoon, evenings spent making jelly and mayo and beer. Rainy days were almost always spent exhausted in bed, only going out to tend the animals. She had even missed a few Friday nights at the saloon, which had earned her a few grumpy calls from Abigail and a visit from Sam to check to see if she was even alive. Sam had offered to help, but between his increase in hours at Joja Mart and his inability to get out of bed early in the morning, he had only spent three or so nights out at the farm. He had been a great help with cheese making and pickling, but now those projects were sat in a shed, curing. Jade hoped that some of the goat cheese and other goods might be ready to sell for a nice premium at the fair.

On a rainy Sunday, Jade sat at her tiny kitchen table, going over the to do lists and charts she had made herself. Some of her summer fruit wasn’t keeping as well as she hoped, and she was now trying to schedule an emergency wine making session. The apple tree, too, had finally begun producing fruit, and she needed to add that into her harvest schedule. Reading through everything again, calculating her hours, and feeling how drained and rubbery her muscles felt from just collecting eggs and milking this morning, she finally accepted defeat. 

If she was going to make this work, she was going to have to hire help. 

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes. How had she dug this hole for herself? She didn’t even know how she was going to make ends meet until after the fair. Almost all her gold had been turned right over into the farm, most of it planted in the ground. She knew she had to invest big if she wanted a good return. The numbers on her sheet told her she had just over two thousand gold left… would that be enough to pay someone for a week’s worth of hard labor? 

She had to try. 

Jade went to change out of pajamas into jeans, a flannel, and her leather jacket. She carefully hoisted the two large pumpkins she had set aside for Caroline and Abigail into her arms, said goodbye to her dog Hopps, and headed out into the rain. Maybe her stop for the day would resolve her problem. She had promised some pumpkins for carving to her friend, and maybe she would be able to beg Abby into helping her out on the cheap. Jade trudged through the rain, arms aching from the weight of the pumpkins as she made her way to town. She should have grabbed a hat. Jade tried to focus on how best to coax Abby into helping her instead of how uncomfortable she was. If not her, maybe Sam, bribed with money, could manage early mornings for a week. She knew Sebastian already had a very full work load, and he was even worse about getting up late than Sam was. 

Finally, the path made a turn and sloped down into the center of Pelican Town. Picking up her pace a little, Jade struggled with the door to Pierre’s for a solid thirty seconds before she was able to wriggle it open. The bell jingled, and Pierre looked up from the counter he sat behind, clearly bored. 

“Jade!” His eyes gravitated towards the pumpkins in her shaking arms. “Pumpkins! Excellent, do you have more outside?” 

“Nope, just these two. They’re for Caroline,” Jade said, very glad to be out of the wet. Pierre’s expression fell, clearly disappointed she was dirtying his shop without bringing a load of crops to sell to him. 

“Oh, right, she said something about asking you for pumpkins. She’s in the kitchen,” he said glumly. He instead grabbed the mop to clean up after her muddy footprints. Near the back door that lead into their house, Jade put down the pumpkins to take off her shoes before continuing in. 

“Caroline! I’ve got your order,” she shouted ahead of herself. A door burst open to her left, and Abby appeared, a grin on her face. 

“Hell yes! It’s carving time!” she cheered, taking one of the pumpkins from Jade and leading her to the kitchen. Caroline was in the middle of cooking something on the stove when the two girls entered. “Bloomington Farms came through!” 

“Oh Jade, you didn’t need to bring them in the rain! Abby, go get her a towel, will you?” 

Abigail stuck her tongue out at her mother when her back was turned, but left to get a towel after depositing the pumpkin on the kitchen table. 

“Sorry about the mess,” Jade said, accepting the towel and starting to dry her hair off. “But I had to come into town anyways, so I figured I’d bring you the first crop.” 

“Thank you,” Caroline said, turning away from the stove and examining the pumpkins. “These will do just nicely!” 

“I’ve already sketched out like twenty ideas,” Abigail said, drying off the pumpkins too. “I’ll show you later.” 

“Ha, well, I’ll bring you more if I have any to spare after the fair.” 

“Awesome!” Abigail grinned and ran off to her room. 

“What brought you out on such a miserable day?” Caroline asked. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?” 

“Uh, tea would be nice, yeah,” Jade said, sitting down at the table. 

“Ok, so which ones should I do?” Abby was back, flipping through her sketchbook and slapping it down on the table in front of Jade. “I was thinking the vampire and maybe Prairie King? But vampires are soooooo overdone.” 

“Hmm,” Jade said, flipping through the pages. Abby’s illustrations were bold and energetic. “I actually really like the vampire. What if you set them up like the Prairie King was shooting one way, and the vampire was turning into bats?”

They went back and forth for a while, Abigail sketching out a whole new set of ideas. The kettle finally boiled, and Caroline poured tea for the three of them. 

“So? What’s your other errand?” Caroline asked, taking a seat across from the girls. 

“Oh, I’m uh…” Jade still hadn’t decided firmly on a way to ask Abby for the favor. “I’m actually looking for some help on the farm. Thought I might ask around or put something on the board.” She glanced at Abby to gauge her reaction. She was still bent over her new drawing. 

“Well, I’m sure there are a couple people in town you could ask,” Caroline said, frowning a little. 

“I’d offer but my classes are mostly in the morning,” Abigail said, finally looking up. “Sorry Jade, but the semester just hit full steam and I shouldn’t be skipping.” 

Of course. Jade had completely forgotten that Abby had started her third year online at Zuzu U. Shit. 

“Yeah, I figured,” Jade lied, trying to cover her disappointment by taking a drink of tea. “I just don’t know who isn’t working or has the time. I don’t have much to offer.”

“Sam maybe?” Abigail said, setting her pen down finally. “He’s only part time at Joja.” 

“Yeah, I was gonna ask and see at least.” 

“You could also ask Alex,” Caroline mused. “I don’t think he’s working or going to school. He might be helping with set up for the fair, but…” 

Shit. Alex again. Jade hadn’t even considered him. Did he really not have a job outside of the ice cream stand? Though, he had mentioned having trouble making money in Pelican Town. 

“I, uh… yeah, I guess I could ask him,” Jade conceded. She took another drink of tea. “Caroline, what tea is this? It’s great.” 

She managed to steer the rest of her visit towards talking about Caroline’s tea room and the fair. She had almost forgotten about asking if Alex would work on the farm with her for a week until she was pulling her muddy boots back on, which Pierre had moved to next to the shop entrance. Jade resolved to try and ask Sam first, beg him if needed. Anything to keep her from crawling to Alex. She waved bye to Pierre before heading back out into the rain again. 

She walked down to Sam’s house, hoping he would be home this afternoon. Her heart sank when his window was dark. She knocked on the door anyways, and Jodi answered. 

“Hello Jade!”   


“Hey Jodi, is Sam home?” Jade asked, pushing wet bangs out of her face. 

“No, sorry, he just left for work about half an hour ago,” Jodi said, giving her a sympathetic smile. “Do you still want to come in?” 

“Oh, no, I just needed to ask him something. I’ll catch him later.” 

“Okay, try and stay warm.” 

“Bye.” 

“Bye!” 

Jade walked back to the center of town, dragging her feet. She could wait until the evening when Sam got home from work to ask then, but… she really needed someone to start tomorrow morning. If Sam turned her down, then she’d be even further behind in her work. There was no guarantee that someone would answer a request on the board in a timely manner. It would be easier to just pin someone down in an agreement today. 

Unwillingly, her path veered off to the right and the Mullner’s house. 

Alex was strong. He could do the farmwork, even if he didn’t like it. And if he was an ass, or annoyed her, she could always fire him. She could find a way to manage if it didn’t work out. It would mean a lot of late nights, but she could do it. She’d always found a way to manage. 

She stood just feet from the door, contemplating just going home. She could do this alone. It would suck. She had done just as long of days working for Joja, making her loathe a job she already hated. But… she didn’t want to hate farming. She liked working outside, with nature, at her own pace. If she tried to do this alone, she might just end up in the same rut she had left back in the city. She didn’t want to be miserable in the valley. She wanted to be happy. And sometimes, being happy meant she had to ask for help. Finally, Jade gritted her teeth and crossed the last few steps to knock on the door. 

She stood waiting for longer than she thought she would have to. Maybe they couldn’t hear over the rain? Jade counted to twenty, then raised her fist to knock again. She managed one rap on the door before it swung open. 

“Yeah, I’m comin’ - Farmgirl!” Alex said, startled by her presence. He was mercifully wearing a shirt this time, though it was not the first thing she noticed. When their eyes locked in surprise, Jade noted that for once, his hair was soft and feathery, completely lacking any gel today. “What’s up?” 

“I, uh…” Jade blinked a few times trying to remember how she was going to start this conversation. Had she even made a plan? 

“Alex, dear, who is it?” 

“Shut the damn door, you’re letting in a draft!” 

“Come in,” Alex said, stepping to the side to let her through the door. Jade did so, shutting the door and peeling off her shoes and coat there in the hallway. “It’s Jade!” 

“Thanks,” she muttered, hanging up her dripping jacket on a peg before running a hand over her frizzy, sopping hair. Maybe Alex would take her more seriously if she looked this miserable. 

Jade barely heard Evelyn’s shuffling footsteps before the older woman appeared in the hallway. “Oh, Jade! How nice of you to visit.” 

“Yeah, uh, I wanted to talk to Alex actually,” she said. She could see him raise his eyebrows from the corner of her eye. 

“Please, let’s get you warm! Have you had lunch yet?” Evelyn asked, already leading her back towards the kitchen. “We just finished but I have some leftovers I can heat up for you.” 

Jade had never been inside the Mullner’s house before. She had always managed to politely turn down Eveyln’s offers to have a meal there, citing her never ending farm work. It was charmingly decorated, though several decades out of fasion. The table only had two chairs at it, the third pushed into a far corner. It smelled very nice, though Jade couldn’t pinpoint what exactly made it. The sound of the TV in the room across the hall wasn’t much dampened by the distance. George must be watching some sort of game show. 

“I couldn’t possibly impose, Evelyn,” Jade said. Alex moved past her, back towards the sink, where Jade could see a few pans soaking. 

“You’re not imposing. Alex, dear, I can finish washing up,” Evelyn said, putting a hand on her grandson’s arm. “Your friend is here, you should spend some time together.”

Alex looked between Evelyn and the skin before saying, “Alright gran. I can finish them later, too…” 

But Evelyn was already patting his cheek before shooing him out of the way. Alex awkwardly stepped back. He looked at Jade again and nodded his head to the side. “My room?” he asked. “It’s quieter.” 

Ohhhh boy. This was already much more out of hand than Jade wanted. “I guess?” she said. Between the running water and the TV, it would be hard to have a conversation in the kitchen. But if she asked him around Evelyn, surely he wouldn’t refuse? Then again, maybe she did want him to refuse. Reluctantly, Jade followed Alex down the hall, then up a set of stairs to his bedroom. Admittedly, she was a little too curious about what his room looked like, how it would hold up to her expectations of Alex. 

She was half right in that he had quite the variety of workout gear: weights, resistance bands, even a bench. He had a couple of posters hung on the walls, mostly of the Zuzu City Tunnelers and Zuzu University. Thankfully, he didn’t have the cheerleader pinup calendar Jade was expecting to see staring down at her. Most curiously was the bookshelf. It took a considerable amount of self control to not immediately begin snooping as to what kinds of books Alex would be into. And of course, Jade was surprised that Alex’s room was clean, much cleaner than her own house. She left the door adjar behind her, not wanting to give him any ideas.

“So… what’s up?” Alex asked. He ran a hand through his hair, as if he was trying to get it to stay up the way it would with gel. “You wanted to talk?” 

“Uh… yeah.” Jade said lamely. “I’ve got a question for you, actually.” 

He raised an eyebrow as a playful smirk curled on his lips. “Yeah?” 

“Ugh, look, just… I’ve got a lot of work to do for the fair, and I’m looking for a farmhand for a week. Caroline mentioned you might be free,” she added, hoping it would pin the blame for this whole thing on Caroline. It was absolutely her fault she had made such a reasonable recommendation. 

“Oh yeah? What kind of farmhand?” That stupid grin was on his face now and Jade wanted so badly to roll her eyes at him. 

“I’ve got a ton of crops that I need to bring in, especially pumpkins and wheat, and I’m going to need help getting everything loaded into Lewis’s truck. Not to mention all the watering and hauling around barrels of beer and wine.” She tried to keep her tone as even as possible. “I can do all of it, but it’ll be much easier with help.”

“Hmmm… sounds like quite the workout,” Alex said, crossing his arms. “I think I could make that happen.”

“I can pay you two thousand gold for the whole week,” Jade continued. 

Alex quirked an eyebrow in an expression that Jade couldn’t decipher. “Two thousand for a week of hard labor?”

She grit her teeth. “It’s what I’ve got to offer, if it’s not enough, I’ll—”

“Throw in some eggs for me and a basket of cranberries for Gran and you’ve got a deal.” When Jade did nothing but blink at him, he added, “You’re growing cranberries, right?” 

“Yeah, I am. And I can do that.” She still didn’t know what to make of the expression on his face. Suave? Amused? Bored? She tried not to look directly into his piercingly green eyes. “It’s not going to be fun, and it’ll be dirty and sweaty,” she said. Was she trying to dissuade him? She didn’t even know anymore. 

“I can do sweaty.” 

Jade couldn’t help the face she made. “I just don’t want you complaining when your shoes get muddy, because they will.” She gestured down to herself to prove her point. 

“Hmm, yeah, the mud will probably be the worst part. But sure. I’ll do it.” He shrugged. 

“Just like that?” Jade asked, disbelieving him a little.

“Yeah. Working outside sounds fun, and I could always use a little extra money to help out Gran. It’ll be a nice challenge to add it to my workout routine.” 

Jade was suspicious of how easy this was. “I want you there at six-thirty sharp every morning,” she said, watching to see if his expression changed. It didn’t. “And we’ll probably work late into the afternoon. Hopefully not longer than five, if we get everything done.” 

“Okay.” 

“And I don’t want to hear you complaining, either. Trust me, I’m not even going to give you the worst jobs.” 

“You can if you want to.”

“And you can’t call me Farmgirl anymore,” she added, hoping to throw it in quick enough that he would agree without thinking. 

He paused and gave her a teasing look. “Ooh, you drive a hard bargain… alright. Sure.” 

Jade did not like how her stomach reacted when he smiled at her again. “I’ll pay you at the end of it, unless you want half up front.” 

He shook his head. “Nah, I trust you.”

“Alright then…” Jade held out her hand to him, which he reached out and shook. His hand was quite warm against her rain-chilled fingers, and she thought vaguely about how this was the first time they had ever touched. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.”

“Six-thirty sharp,” he repeated, a joke on his lips. 

“Wear good shoes. And jeans,” Jade said. 

“Yes ma’am.” His eyes were dancing with humor. Jade tried not to look at him for too long. 

“Ok, well, I’d better head out then,” she said, shifting back towards the door. 

“Yeah, I’ll walk you down,” he said, casually opening the door for her. He followed Jade back down the stairs. Just the sounds of the game show played from the living room. She peaked her head in to say goodbye to Evelyn and George. Alex waited for her to pull her shoes and jacket back on. He opened the front door for her. “See you tomorrow, Jade.” 

“Yeah. See you then.”


End file.
